Description

This classic of twentieth-century literature chronicles the spiritual evolution of a man living in India at the time of the Buddha—a spiritual journey that has inspired generations of readers. Here is a fresh translation from Sherab Chödzin Kohn, a gifted translator and longtime student of Buddhism and Eastern philosophy. Kohn's flowing, poetic translation conveys the philosophical and spiritual nuances of Hesse's text, paying special attention to the qualities of meditation experience. This edition also includes an introduction exploring Hesse's own spiritual journey as evidenced in his journals and personal letters.

Hermann Hesse

Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse’s most lauded book: The enchanting story of one man’s journey in search of enlightenment

Born into the privileged life of a Brahmin, young Siddhartha came of age surrounded by the teachings of the Buddha. But despite his earnest pursuit of enlightenment, Siddhartha is left unfulfilled. Determined to find his own path to the nirvana, Siddhartha leaves home to embark on a spiritual voyage, spurning the comforts of his caste and leaving behind all loved ones save for his best friend, Govinda. Homeless, without food, and dedicated to their austere lifestyle, the friends diverge along two separate paths. Govinda grows ever more dedicated to Buddhist teachings while Siddhartha travels a more meandering road—through asceticism, into an embrace of the joys of the flesh, and finally to an understanding of the nature of time, truth, and the ultimate path to self-realization.

First published in Germany in 1922, Siddhartha grew in popularity through the 1960s, when it became a touchstone of the American counterculture movement. The book endures today as a stirring and lyrical exploration of self-discovery.

This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Harry Haller is a sad and lonely figure, a reclusive intellectual for whom life holds no joy. He struggles to reconcile the wild primeval wolf and the rational man within himself without surrendering to the bourgeois values he despises. His life changes dramatically when he meets a woman who is his opposite, the carefree and elusive Hermine. The tale of the Steppenwolf culminates in the surreal Magic Theater--for mad men only.

Steppenwolf is Hesse's best-known and most autobiographical work. With its blend of Eastern mysticism and Western culture, it is one of literature's most poetic evocations of the soul's journey to liberation. Originally published in English in 1929, the novel's wisdom continues to speak to our souls and marks it as a classic of modern literature.

In the novel, Siddhartha, a young man, leaves his family for a contemplative life, then, restless, discards it for one of the flesh. He conceives a son, but bored and sickened by lust and greed, moves on again. Near despair, Siddhartha comes to a river where he hears a unique sound. This sound signals the true beginning of his life -- the beginning of suffering, rejection, peace, and, finally, wisdom.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse follows the story of an Indian man who undergoes a spiritual voyage during the era of the Buddha in ancient India. Hesse’s novel touches upon the central themes of Buddhism including the four noble truths and the eight-fold path.

Originally published in 1922, Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha tells the story of a young Indian man’s spiritual journey. After meeting the Buddha, young Siddhartha searches for the ultimate reality and meaning of life. His journey takes him from the arms of a beautiful courtesan to monastic simplicity, from being a son to having his own son, and finally to the true beginning of his life beside a river where he ultimately finds wisdom.

HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

This classic novel of self-discovery has inspired generations of seekers. With parallels to the enlightenment of the Buddha, Hesse's Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmin’s quest for the ultimate reality. His quest takes him from the extremes of indulgent sensuality to the rigors of ascetism and self-denial. At last he learns that wisdom cannot be taught — it must come from one's own experience and inner struggle. Steeped in the tenets of both psychoanalysis and Eastern mysticism, Siddhartha presents a strikingly original view of man and culture, and the arduous process of self-discovery that leads to reconciliation, harmony, and peace.

A brilliant journey of the psyche written by one of Germany’s most influential writers and thinkers, Herman Hesse

First published in 1919 under the pseudonyn Emil Sinclair, Demian follows the life of a troubled German youth as he navigates the duality of a world filled with illusions and spiritual truth. When Sinclair first meets childhood classmate Max Demian, his eyes are opened to the contradictions of his existing Christian knowledge. As Sinclair continues to question his worldview, the two friends are separated and reunited throughout their lives, with each encounter being a vantage for Sinclair to reconcile a world at discord. He ascends on his path to freedom and a realization of self as the friendship evolves in surprising and explosive ways.

Demian is a classic coming-of-age story that continues to inspire generations of readers in its exploration of good and evil, morality, and self-discovery.

"All I really wanted was to try and live the life that was spontaneously welling up within me. Why was that so very difficult?"Generations of readers have recognized the impassioned cry that introduces the young narrator of Demian, and embraced this tale of a troubled young man's struggle toward self-awareness. Initially published in Berlin in 1919, the novel met with instant critical acclaim, as well as great popular success among people seeking answers amid the devastating aftermath of World War I.A brilliant psychological portrait of an individual's departure from social conventions in the search for spiritual fulfillment, Demian encompasses many of the themes associated with Hermann Hesse, its Noble Prize–winning author, particularly the duality of human nature and the quest for inner peace.Considered an important work in the evolution of 20th-century European literature, this perceptive coming-of-age novel enjoys a particular resonance with young adults, a fact that has made Demian a perennial favorite in schools and colleges all over the world. This inexpensive edition, featuring an excellent new English translation, is sure to be welcomed by teachers and students, and by the legions of confirmed Hesse fans.

2

Google Play reviews now use Google+ so it's easier to see opinions from people you care about. New reviews will be publicly linked to your Google+ profile. Your name on previous reviews now appears as "A Google User".

Google Play reviews now use Google+ so it's easier to see opinions from people you care about. New reviews will be publicly linked to your Google+ profile. Your name on previous reviews now appears as "A Google User".

Write a review

My review

Review from

Reviews

4.6

23 total

A Google User

Review: Siddhartha Hesse's famous and influential novel, SIDDHARTHA, is perhaps the most important and compelling moral allegory our troubled century has produced. Integrating Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis and philosophy, this strangely simple tale, written with a deep and moving empathy for humanity, has touched the lives of millions since its original publication in 1922. Set in ...

Partha

Thought provokingly simple yet elegant.. beautifully presented, a complex theory of spirituality.. A must read for anybody having a little proclivity towards spirituality.

sanjeev chandla

ITS ABOUT LIFE AND ITS FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH....ABOUT CHANGE AND SATURATION its a philosophical book that is so closely related with reality of life .........must read for all book lovers.......

nightssweety

its a book i read it before i got this as a gift its a good book and it makes you think

HeyyitsJayy

Wonderful read As a 16-year old teenager who loves to read large books, I was slightly disturbed at the shortness of this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Although it's a fictional book, it felt more like Hesse

Hiren Vyas

Awesome Book I started reading this book with lot of expectations and believe me it had delivered beyond my expectations. Starting was good but in middle felt author is loosing the grip but towards the end it was ...

Critic reviews

A Google User

Bookreporter.com

Review: Siddhartha Hesse's famous and influential novel, SIDDHARTHA, is perhaps the most important and compelling moral allegory our troubled century has produced. Integrating Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis and philosophy, this strangely simple tale, written with a deep and moving empathy for humanity, has touched the lives of millions since its original publication in 1922. Set in ...

Wonderful read As a 16-year old teenager who loves to read large books, I was slightly disturbed at the shortness of this book, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Although it's a fictional book, it felt more like Hesse

Awesome Book I started reading this book with lot of expectations and believe me it had delivered beyond my expectations. Starting was good but in middle felt author is loosing the grip but towards the end it was ...

a very beautiful spiritual gift if u want to know vedanta, eastern philosophy, indian spirituality, upanishads in a very easy way pls read siddhartha a very beautiful buk by hesse.Also read the other works of hesse including glass ...

Helps in Soul searching It is said that Siddhartha by Hermann Hessee is one of the books that changed the world because since then the western world was influenced by Eastern Philosophy.Another noteworthy movement where the ...

Similar

From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers—featuring cover art by Jessica Hische

It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson's recent film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin's own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility. With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische's hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series launches with six perennial favorites to give as elegant gifts, or to showcase on your own shelves.

H is for Hesse. A young Brahmin named Siddhartha searches for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha. His quest takes him from a life of decadence to asceticism, from the illusory joys of sensual love with a beautiful courtesan, and of wealth and fame, to the painful struggles with his son and the ultimate wisdom of renunciation. Integrating Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis and philosophy, written with a deep and moving empathy for humanity, Herman Hesse’s strangely simple Siddhartha is perhaps the most important and compelling moral allegory the troubled twentieth century ever produced.

Narcissus and Goldmund is the story of a passionate yet uneasy friendship between two men of opposite character. Narcissus, an ascetic instructor at a cloister school, has devoted himself solely to scholarly and spiritual pursuits. One of his students is the sensual, restless Goldmund, who is immediately drawn to his teacher's fierce intellect and sense of discipline. When Narcissus persuades the young student that he is not meant for a life of self-denial, Goldmund sets off in pursuit of aesthetic and physical pleasures, a path that leads him to a final, unexpected reunion with Narcissus.

With its excellent line-for-line English translation on facing pages, this handy dual-language volume allows students of German language and literature an ideal way to read the 1922 classic based on events from the life of Buddha. The restless young Brahmin Siddhartha undertakes a spiritual journey that takes him from years of asceticism to long-sought enlightenment.

This classic is a particular favorite of young adults confronting life's deepest questions. A potent combination of Eastern and Western insights into the human search for meaning, Thomas Wayne presents a contemporary take on Hesse's story in a joltingly fresh translation. Steppenwolf was first published in German in 1927, but the issues it raises are still relevant today. Perhaps the book is more important in our current cultural climate than ever before. In this story we watch as a solitary individual struggles to break free of the plans and patterns laid out for him by society, The expectations of others, And The soft confines of middle-class life. The main character, Harry Haller, has all material wealth he needs, yet he finds no satisfaction. Having decided to commit suicide on his fiftieth birthday, he then meets Hermine. She shows him another life and, through her musician/friend Pablo and his Magic Theater, all the endless possible variations of his own life in the long journey to self-discovery. The translator Thomas Wayne is an English Professor at Edison College in Fort Myers, Florida. He has published two translations of Nietzsche's classics with Algora Publishing, As well as Hesse's much loved Steppenwolf. His approach in translating these iconoclastic German powerhouses is to return the juice the authors originally intended, The verve and dynamic energy.

A collection of twenty-two fairy tales by the Nobel Prize-winning novelist, most translated into English for the first time, show the influence of German Romanticism, psychoanalysis, and Eastern religion on his development as an author.

Vowing at an early age “to be a poet or nothing at all,” Hermann Hesse rebelled against formal education, focusing on a rigorous program of independent study that included literature, philosophy, art, and history. One result of these efforts was a series of novels that became counterculture bibles that remain widely influential today. Another was a body of evocative spiritual poetry. Published for the first time in English, these vivid, probing short works reflect deeply on the challenges of life and provide a spiritual solace that transcends specific denominational hymns, prayers, and rituals.

The Seasons of the Soul offers valuable guidance in poetic form for those longing for a more meaningful life, seeking a sense of homecoming in nature, in each stage of life, in a renewed relationship with the divine. Extensive quotations from his prose introduce each theme addressed in the book: love, imagination, nature, the divine, and the passage of time. A foreword by Andrew Harvey reintroduces us to a figure about whom some may have believed everything had already been said. Thoughtful commentary throughout from translator Ludwig Max Fischer helps readers understand the poems within the context of Hesse’s life.

A powerful new translation of Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse’s masterpiece of youthful rebellion—with a foreword and cover art by James Franco

A young man awakens to selfhood and to a world of possibilities beyond the conventions of his upbringing in Nobel Prize winner Hermann Hesse’s beloved novel Demian. Emil Sinclair is a quiet boy drawn into a forbidden yet seductive realm of petty crime and defiance. His guide is his precocious, mysterious classmate Max Demian, who provokes in Emil a search for self-discovery and spiritual fulfillment. A brilliant psychological portrait, Demian is given new life in this translation, which together with James Franco’s personal and inspiring foreword will bring a new generation to Hesse’s widely influential coming-of-age novel.

For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

eReaders and other devices

To read on e-ink devices like the Sony eReader or Barnes & Noble Nook, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Please follow the detailed Help center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.